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  ·  .  .  ·  ·  . |        Help on:  Barbarian        | .  ·  ·  .  .  ·
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Adjustments: +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence
Compatible Classes: Bard, Berserker, Cleric (Ares), Druid, Fighter, Monk, 
                    Ranger, Thief

General
Barbarians, also known as the Schnai, are fierce, untamed warriors who roam the frozen 
northern wastes of Derlith. They are tribal people, thriving in harsh, frigid conditions 
where only the strongest survive. Their entire way of life is built around war, survival, 
and personal honor. While civilized humans struggle to understand their savage ways, 
barbarians see city-dwellers as soft, weak, and incapable of true strength. Barbarians 
live in clan-based societies, ruled by powerful chiefs or warrior-kings, whose right to 
rule is earned through strength and battlefield prowess. Their lives revolve around war, 
raiding, and battle, and their greatest honor comes from dying in combat. The Schnai 
believe might makes right, and a warrior who cannot defend his title or status does not 
deserve to keep it. Magic is deeply mistrusted among barbarians, except for those spells 
that enhance battle, strengthen the body, or heal wounds. For this reason, barbarians have 
little respect for mages, viewing their craft as cowardly and unnatural. However, Clerics 
of Ares - the god of war and bloodlust - are highly revered, as their magic is a gift from 
the war god himself. Almost all barbarian warriors become Berserkers, warriors who channel 
their rage into supernatural fury. However, some become druids, rangers, monks, or bards, 
though such individuals rarely leave the wild northlands.

Physical & Mental Traits
Barbarians are exceptionally large humans, with many standing over seven feet tall. Their 
bodies are thick with muscle, built from years of hunting, warring, and battling the elements. 
They are rugged and hardened, often bearing numerous scars, trophies of past fights and 
victories. Their raw physicality makes them incredibly durable, and they can endure conditions 
that would cripple lesser men. Having grown up in the frozen wastes, barbarians have an innate 
resistance to cold, allowing them to function normally in freezing temperatures while others 
would succumb to hypothermia. However, their savage upbringing leaves them ignorant of much 
outside their way of life. Barbarians are not naturally unintelligent, but their lack of 
exposure to learning, trade, and scholarship makes them less capable of advanced reasoning, 
diplomacy, or technological understanding. They are not fools, but they are not scholars either.

Culture & Philosophy
Barbarian culture is centered around strength, blood, and steel. They believe civilization 
breeds weakness, and they mock those who rely on walls, gold, and laws to protect them. Among 
barbarians, only the strong rule, and only warriors are respected. Those who cannot fight serve 
those who can, or they perish. Their religion is simple: Ares is their god, and war is his gift. 
Barbarians believe Ares watches them in battle, rewarding the strongest with victory and the 
weak with death. Their priests are warriors first, clerics second, and they are expected to 
lead in battle, not just preach about it. Barbarians have little patience for politics or 
deception, preferring straightforward action over manipulation. Their honor is measured in 
battle, and disputes are settled through combat, not words. However, this does not mean they 
are mindless brutes - barbarians understand strategy, survival, and the importance of leadership, 
even if they do not follow the structured ways of civilized war. Though they rarely leave 
their homeland, when they do, barbarians often find work as mercenaries, bodyguards, and 
warlords, as their natural combat skills make them highly sought-after warriors.

Racial Traits
-See in dark (Infravision): No
-Size class: Large

Racial Perks & Benefits
-Born for War: Bonus to hit with spears, the traditional weapon of the Schnai.
-Frozen Resilience: Permanent "warmth" effect, allowing barbarians to function normally in 
                    extreme cold.
-Unshakable Will: Highly resistant to fear and mind-affecting spells, as their brutal 
                  upbringing has forged their mental resilience.

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